Memorial for A&M mascot Reveille VII to feature school officials

Updated 6:02 pm, Friday, August 30, 2013

Reveille VII at a basketball game between Texas A&M and Missouri in 2001.

Reveille VII at a basketball game between Texas A&M and Missouri in 2001.

Photo: BUTCH IRELAND, MBR

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Reveille VII naps near members of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets in 2008. (AP Photo/Bryan College Station Eagle, Stuart Villanueva)

Reveille VII naps near members of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets in 2008. (AP Photo/Bryan College Station Eagle, Stuart Villanueva)

Photo: Stuart Villanueva, MBR

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Grant Rollo, a member of Texas Corps of Cadets, hugs Reveille in 2008.

Grant Rollo, a member of Texas Corps of Cadets, hugs Reveille in 2008.

Photo: Stuart Villanueva, MBR

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A memorial service for Reveille VII will be held at the 12,500-seat Reed Arena.

A memorial service for Reveille VII will be held at the 12,500-seat Reed Arena.

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"Having Reveille VII with us for five glorious years has been one of the greatest things to happen to us during our 46 years of marriage," a couple who are the dog's caretakers said.

"Having Reveille VII with us for five glorious years has been one of the greatest things to happen to us during our 46 years of marriage," a couple who are the dog's caretakers said.

Photo: Brian Bahr, GETTY IMAGES FILE

Memorial for A&M mascot Reveille VII to feature school officials

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Thousands of Aggies and Texas A&M supporters are expected to pay their respects to the university's retired mascot, Reveille VII, next week. The 12-year-old American Collie died on May 30.

The memorial services will take place at 7:30 p.m on Friday, Sept. 6, at the 12,500-seat Reed Arena. Reveille VII served as the university's mascot from 2001 until 2008, and during that period participated in hundreds of events, including numerous Aggie football games, university officials said in a press release.

University President R. Bowen Loftin and Student Body President Reid Joseph will join others in giving remarks, and Reveille VII's successor, Reveille VIII, is scheduled to be on hand.

The program also will include a video tribute highlighting some of Reveille VII's most memorable moments and a performance by the Singing Cadets, the university's well-known choral group.

The "Remembering Reveille VII" event is free and open to the public, and free parking will be available at several lots around and near Reed Arena.

The committee planning the ceremony includes Tina and Paul Gardner, the College Station couple who cared for Reveille VII in their home since her retirement in 2008. They also will take part in the memorial services. Paul Gardner is a 1966 Texas A&M graduate.

"It would be our hope that all available Aggies, including former students, and anyone who loves Texas A&M University, come share Reveille VII's last official event," the couple stated in the press release. "We will be honoring her life as 'The Queen of Texas A&M University' and 'The First Lady of Aggieland.'

"Having Reveille VII with us for five glorious years has been one of the greatest things to happen to us during our 46 years of marriage," the couple stated.

The Gardners were asked by university officials to open their home to Reveille VII because of their 40-year involvement with the university, especially the Corps of Cadets. Their son, Todd, is a member of Texas A&M's Class of 1994 and was a member of Company E-2, the corps unit with which the university's mascot traditionally resides.

The couple established a fund in 1998 to help cover out-of-pocket expenses for the cadet in Company E-2 designated to be the mascot's primary handler. They also established a $50,000 endowment for the benefit of the Small Animal Clinic at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences "to give back to the university for the prestigious honor of taking care of Reveille VII during her retirement."

Free parking for the memorial service will be available after 5 p.m. in lots 100A, 100B, 100C, 100F, 100G and 100J. Overflow parking, if needed, will be in lots 61 and 97.